One Long Ride
by JaceLover01
Summary: Life after college has Eli and Auden thinking about the future...so what shall ensue? Read and find out! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I just finished Along For the Ride about...two hours ago and I started this immediately after! I must say, I absolutely love that book. The only books I haven't read of Sarah Dessen so far are That Summer and Lock & Key. I want to read them so badly because I just love _all_**** her books! So, this is the first fan-fic I have written of hers. I really hope you guys like it. Leave me lots of reviews to let me know if you like it and if you want me to continue, because I have lots of ideas for this story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Ms. Dessen does sadly, but she does a darn good job.**

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**Chapter One **

My graduation day from Defriese got here faster than I expected, even though it had been, indeed, two years since I'd first started at the school. I was going around my room calmly getting ready for the ceremony while Maggie raced around, on the verge of a mental break, it seemed, just because she couldn't find her silver strappy heels.

"They must be around here somewhere!" she said frantically as she looked under the couch. She was wearing an ivory colored dress with cap sleeves and an elegant scoop neck, lace detail on the soft fabric. Her silver heels went perfectly with it, so I could kind of understand why she was stressing about it. Kind of.

I walked into my room of the loft we'd been sharing since our first day at Defriese and I checked behind a chair that was in the corner. "I found them," I announced as I walked back into the living room, the heels hanging from my fingers by the straps. "Must've left them in there when I had to glue that rhinestone back on."

Maggie took the heels, looking at them like they were the Holy Grail. "You are a lifesaver Auden," she said before she sat down on the couch, slipping the heels on her feet. "You look gorgeous in that dress by the way."

I looked down at the soft dress I was wearing. It had an a-line skirt and it was white, in the style of a halter dress. It had a satin ivory colored ribbon around the waist and it fit my form just perfectly. Along with it, I had on a pair of silver ballet flats. I didn't trust myself to walk across that stage with the big stairs leading up to it in heels the size of Maggie's. I honestly didn't know how she walked in them.

After I grabbed a cute little silver clutch purse that Heidi had gotten me for my birthday and asked Maggie if she was ready to go. We were nearly late since all the graduates had to be to the stage an hour before the ceremony started.

Maggie grabbed our graduation gowns and draped them over her arm and I grabbed the caps before we walked out the door, locking the loft behind us.

All the students were milling about, talking excitedly and we found a group of girls we usually hung out with sometimes. We all got our gowns on and made last minute adjustments to our hair before one of the student advisors said, "Ten minutes and we start the progression!"

There were walkway after walkway around the Defriese campus and Maggie and I sat on a ceramic bench. She looked at me and smiled, "Auden, why are you nervous?"

I stared at her for a moment. Why was I nervous? Oh I don't know, she didn't to worry about stammering! "Mags, you don't have to deliver a speech to five thousand people," I told her, and I did feel quite pale.

She unzipped her little clutch purse and took out a compact of blush and swiftly applied some to my cheeks. "You look like you're about ready to pass out."

"I feel like it too," I told her, and I did feel a bit nauseous.

Moments later, the student advisor came back and told us all to line up, two in a row, our last names in alphabetical order. I was last in the row with a girl who's last name was Zimmerman.

The traditional graduation march began and everyone in the crowd turned to look as the first two people started down the aisle towards where our seats were. I was sitting in the second to last seat. The dean of Defriese instantly began to talk as everyone finished getting seated. His speech was long and boring, but finally he said, "Now for our valedictorian, Auden West."

The crowd applauded and the loudest applauding and calls came from a group several rows back from the front row.

I stood up from my seat and walked up to the stage where Dean Ashford was waiting for me to come up. I had my speech cards in hand, ready. I shook hands with him and told him thank-you before I took my place at the podium, having to lower the microphone so I could be heard.

"The past isn't dead," I began. "It isn't even past…"

I was going to say those exact words at my high school graduation, but my mother had told me that it was over the top. So I figured now would be a good occasion for them. My speech wasn't too long – it got to the point and everyone was listening to me intently. Finally, I ended it and stepped down from the stage, going back to my seat. I could see my family from where I had been standing on the stage. My mother with her long black hair, looking serious but proud. Hollis sat by my mom, looking excited with Laura right at his side. Then my father with Heidi and Isby sitting on her lip. Then, on the other side of Heidi, was Eli. His hair was a little shorter and more tame and he had actually dressed up in a dress shirt and slacks. He looked _good_, long story short.

The ceremony progressed and name after name was called before Dean Ashford called out, "Auden Penelope West," and I walked up to the stage from where I had been in line and shook the Dean's hand as he handed me my degree. We had to pause for a picture, and then I could continue down the opposite side of the stage, going back to my seat as my family and Eli still clapped and called out to me. When all the graduates were seated again and we put our tassels to the opposite sides of our caps. After the ceremony, I walked over to where my parents were and hugged them both and Heidi. I went over to Eli and wrapped my arms around his neck and he gave me a sweet kiss. "I'm so proud of you," he said, brushing his hand through my hair since I'd taken my cap off.

I smiled up at him. "Thank you."

Isby fussed at me from where she stood holding Heidi's hand and she looked up at me. I had to pick her up. After all, how could I deny my little sister? I hugged her and grinned, "Hey kiddo."

"Pretty," she said, touching my hair that Maggie had curled for me.

I laughed and kissed her little cheek. She already looked so much like Heidi, but she still had eyes just like mine.

After many pictures and more hugs, my dad said, "We'll meet you at the restaurant, okay? Eli, were you driving her?"

Eli nodded, "Yes sir," he said. He was always respectful towards my dad, not wanting to get on the wrong side of him, I guessed.

"Alright," my dad said and put his hand on Heidi's waist. "See you there."

My mother went with Hollis and Laura to the car and Eli walked me to his car. He no longer had his Toyota, but he'd traded it in for a Ford truck. He helped me in after I took off the long black gown that I'd had on over my dress and I put it and the black cap in the back cab portion of the truck sitting back and putting my seat belt on.

Eli got in the driver's side and took in my appearance, his eyes seeming to melt. He leaned towards me and pressed a kiss to my cheek and then to my lips, keeping the kiss going for several long moments. "You did incredible. And you look gorgeous."

I smiled at him and ran my fingertips through his hair. "Thank you," I said again. His graduation had been two weeks before and I had gone and cheered him on just as he had me.

He smiled and kissed me softly again before he started the truck and started to drive towards the restaurant that my dad had reservations at for everyone.

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**Okay, so there it is! The first chapter. Thanks for reading it. I really want to continue it, but I won't if you don't REVIEW! So make sure you REVIEW! **

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone. I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just started college and I'm completely swamped :) Forgive me? Anyway, here is the second chapter. Let me know what you think, so you gotta _review_! More chapters to come whenever I can get them typed up! Thanks to my bestie _SunnieChampagne _for giving me some ideas and her imput!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Sarah Dessen does :)**

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****Chapter Two**

When we arrived at the restaurant, Eli got out of the truck and came around to my side and opened my door for me, helping me out by offering me his hand. I gave him a smile and said thank-you as my feet finally touched the ground, and he shut the door after I was out. Still not letting go of my hand, he led me into the restaurant and asked for the 'West party' and the hostess led us over to a table where my family was sitting, waiting for us.

"I was about to send out a search party, maybe even the Coast Guard," my father said from where he sat next to Heidi.

"Oh please, dad, we're five minutes late," I told him as I sat down in a chair, Eli taking his seat next to me. "There was traffic."

"Uh-huh," Hollis said with a teasing smile. "I've used that excuse before."

I rolled my eyes in response. Leave it to Hollis to make wrongful assumptions, resulting in implied information that I would prefer he retained.

"Well at any rate, we're here to celebrate," my dad said, smiling proudly at me as the waiter appeared with the menus, passing them around the table.

I opened mine up and looked at all the different choices I had. Of course, they all pretty much revolved around Italian food since we were in an Italian restaurant.

There was some chatter around the table, Laura sitting up as straight as my mother was, her expression nearly foreboding. God, she really _was_ like my mother….

Soon enough the waiter came back and took everyone's orders. When the food arrived, the plates were set down in front of the correct person and everyone began eating while the conversation mostly revolved around school, philosophy, or my plans for job hunting next week. It was a daunting task, but it was unavoidable, of course.

Then, suddenly, Hollis stood up, looking serious but in a goofy kind of way. "Everyone, we have an announcement."

Everyone around the table got silent, looking up at Hollis, clearly burning with curiosity. Laura just stayed sitting where she was, her expression stony and very serious.

"What is it, son?" my dad asked him.

Hollis absolutely beamed as he said, "Laura and I…we're having a baby!"

My parents just stared at him and Heidi froze where she was cleaning up Isby's little messy mouth.

My mother was the first one to speak up. "Hollis…a baby's a big responsibility."

Hollis and Laura had been married for a year. I had actually expected this to happen much sooner, especially with how 'responsible' Hollis was.

"Congrats," Eli said from next to me and my mother glanced at him almost incredulously. Leave it to her to find the bad in this situation. After all, they'd been married for a year and it was to be expected at some point.

Hollis looked at my mother and father after saying thanks to Eli. "Well?"

"That's great, son," my dad said, giving a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was clear that he was trying to get used to the idea.

"Yes," my mother said, obviously trying to swallow her pride and accept it – or at least pretend to. "Congratulations." I could tell that she was less than pleased with my brother's announcement, and Laura, honestly, didn't look all that thrilled to have a human life inside her. Go figure. That was nothing new. Laura usually wasn't thrilled about much of anything.

"What do you think, little sis?" Hollis asked me, absolutely beaming proudly.

I blinked, "It's great, Hollis. Really. Congrats."

"Thank you all," Laura said in her usual tight manner and she actually managed a small smile for everyone's benefit – or maybe just Hollis'.

My father waved down a waiter and asked to have the check brought to the table and the waiter obliged, soon coming back to the table with the check booklet. Dad slipped his credit card into it and the waiter took it to be swiped. Dad signed the slip the waiter brought back and soon we were all standing up. "Auden? You coming home with us?" my dad asked me, grabbing Isby's diaper bag. She was working on being potty trained, currently, but she had her accidents.

I looked over at Eli and I saw something in his eyes that made me not want to leave him for the evening just yet. "Actually, dad, I think I'll just get a ride with Eli. We have a lot to catch up on."

Even though we saw each other almost every weekend, I still wanted to spend at least a little more time with him. After all, things had been just a little bit hectic for us lately.

My dad nodded his head, telling me it was okay with him, and he walked out to the car with Heidi and Isby. My mother hugged me and said that she would see me tomorrow while she went out to her own car with Hollis and Laura in tow.

Eli led me out to his truck and got in and drove down the main road from the restaurant. "So where would you like to go? The night is ours," he told me as I leaned back in my seat, smiling softly.

"Hmm," I said, thinking. "Let's go to the beach."

Eli nodded wordlessly, smiling all the while, as he turned down a road a few minutes later that would take us in the direction of the beach.

When we got there, we got out of the truck. I had taken off my shoes so that I could walk barefoot and he did the same thing, tossing his back into the cab of the truck.

Eli came around the front of the truck and took my hand in his before we started walking on the sand down towards the shore. As we walked along the beach, we let the waves that were rolling in wash over our feet, the cold water feeling nice.

"So," Eli said quietly, looking over at me. "It's been a long two years, hasn't it?"

I nodded my head, heaving a sigh. "It has been," I said, looking up at him from where my gaze had been directed out at the water. "I can't believe we've made it this far."

Eli gave a low chuckle and he nodded his head in agreement with me. "Me too, honestly. And you're going to be an aunt. That's pretty big."

I grinned suddenly. "I can't believe they're having a baby, you know? Hollis has never been responsible…I'm surprised mom and dad didn't freak out at him."

"Your mom's a scary lady sometimes," Eli said with a laugh, removing his hand from mine to wrap his arm around my shoulder as we walked.

I leaned by head against his shoulder, my arm slipping around his waist and turn to make our position more comfortable for the both of us. "Sometimes she most definitely is," I agreed lightly.

We walked in silence for a bit longer. It wasn't one of those silences were it was so uncomfortable that you tried to say anything that would come to mind just to break it. It was one of those comfortable ones, where you just enjoyed each other's company. And that's what we did.

Unlike other people, we didn't need to have sex to let each other know how we felt, and those three important words sometimes didn't even have to be spoken. We just knew that we loved each other, and we expressed it in our own ways. I guess that's what makes us so similar in the end.

Though, some other things we didn't understand about each other. It usually depended on what those subjects were…like the crash, or how messed up my family is. But we stood by each other and helped in whatever way we could.

Finally, we just stood there, looking out at the water sparkling in the sunset. He put his arms around me and I leaned my head over against his chest, letting out a relaxed breath. I felt his lips brush against my forehead, and his whisper of, "I love you, Auden."

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**Okay, so there it is! Chapter 2! Send me lots of reviews to let me know with you think! No reviews, no chapter 3. :)**


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